2023 Most Popular Colleges for Area Studies in the Plains States Region
34
Ranked Colleges
307
Degrees Awarded
$29,100
Avg Cost*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 6,966 people earned their degree in area studies, making the major the 115th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, area studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $33,127 and had an average of $20,927 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Plains States region, there were 307 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,952 and $25,098 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region” ranking analyzed 34 colleges that offered a degree in area studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular area studies programs in the United States.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region area studies students.
Top 34 Most Popular Colleges for Area Studies in the Plains States Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region. Mizzou is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 70 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at Mizzou
Out of the 34 schools in the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington University in St Louis landed the #2 spot on the list. Washington University in St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full WUSTL Area Studies Report
Out of the 34 schools in the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Kansas landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Lawrence, Kansas, this large public school awarded 38 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Area Studies at University of Kansas
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend St Olaf College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in Northfield, Minnesota, and it awarded 28 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full St. Olaf Area Studies Report
Out of the 34 schools in the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #5 spot on the list. Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 30 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Iowa Area Studies Report
Iowa State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Iowa State is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 16 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Iowa State University
Carleton College ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Carleton College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Northfield, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Carleton
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #9, Gustavus Adolphus College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in Saint Peter, Minnesota, and it awarded 10 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Gustavus Adolphus Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #9, University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. UMN Duluth is a medium-sized school located in Duluth, Minnesota that handed out 10 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at UMN Duluth
Saint Louis University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #11. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Saint Louis University Area Studies Report
Macalester College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #12. Macalester College is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Macalester Area Studies Report
Coe College ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Coe is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It awarded 5 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Coe College Area Studies Report
University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #13. UNOMAHA is a public institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at University of Nebraska at Omaha
Saint Johns University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Collegeville, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full SJU Area Studies Report
College of Saint Benedict landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. College of Saint Benedict is a small school located in Saint Joseph, Minnesota that handed out 3 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at CSB
With a ranking of #16, Creighton University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Creighton University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Area Studies at Creighton University
University of North Dakota ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. University of North Dakota is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at UND
Saint Ambrose University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Davenport, Iowa. It awarded 2 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at St. Ambrose University
Minnesota State University - Moorhead came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Moorhead, Minnesota, and it awarded 1 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Minnesota State University - Moorhead Area Studies Report
University of Minnesota - Morris came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. UMN Morris is located in Morris, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at UMN Morris
Minnesota State University - Mankato came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Mankato, Minnesota, this fairly large public school handed out 1 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at Minnesota State University - Mankato
University of Nebraska - Lincoln ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. UNL is a public institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Webster University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 0 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Webster University Area Studies Report
Augustana University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #24. Augustana Sioux Falls is a private not-for-profit institution located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at Augustana Sioux Falls
With a ranking of #24, Cornell College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Mount Vernon, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 0 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Cornell College
Saint Cloud State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #24. This fairly large school is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, and it awarded 0 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at St. Cloud State University
Presentation College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Presentation College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Area Studies at Presentation College
Bethany Lutheran College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Mankato, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 0 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at BLC
Hamline University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 0 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Hamline
With a ranking of #24, Columbia College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 0 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Columbia College Missouri Area Studies Report
Luther College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #24. Luther College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decorah, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Luther Area Studies Report
University of Jamestown came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Jamestown, North Dakota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 0 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at UJ
With a ranking of #24, Augsburg University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Augsburg is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 0 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Area Studies at Augsburg University
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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